


The Betting Pool

by Bluewolf458



Category: The Sentinel
Genre: Gen, Sentinel Bingo
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-15
Updated: 2018-02-15
Packaged: 2019-03-19 03:01:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 432
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13695516
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bluewolf458/pseuds/Bluewolf458
Summary: How long will any partner stay with Jim?





	The Betting Pool

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the 2018 Sentinel Bingo prompt 'bets/wagers

The Betting Pool

by Bluewolf

Jim Ellison was well known in the bullpen for his short temper. He had been described as 'attitude on legs' or 'dynamite just waiting for a chance to explode'. The only partner he had tolerated was Jack Pendergrast. Since Jack's disappearance, Simon Banks had tried to partner him on several occasions, and none of those 'partnerships' had lasted more than a few days.

Indeed, after the first one went to Simon Banks three days after being partnered with Jim, asking for a change of partner, Henri Brown opened a book on 'how long will Ellison's next partner last?' at $10 a time. The winnings were often divided between more than one person - almost everyone went for a day in the first week.

So when Jim ended up with a civilian ride-along, almost everyone put their names down for the first or second day. But a week later, Sandburg was still there.

H extended the dates.

Although none of the Major Crime personnel were heavy gamblers, at $10 a time most considered it worth selecting three or four dates. Joel, having watched the two men working together for a couple of weeks, asked if he could put in a bid for 'never', but H pointed out that if it *was* 'never', how would Joel ever collect his winnings?

Joel nodded and, convinced that this was one partnership that would last, dropped out of the betting.

The amount in the pool grew steadily, week by week.

H began to think about it. He had a note of how much each detective had bet, and knew that if he ever actually closed the book it would be easy enough to return everyone's money. But he had no faith in Jim's ability to keep his temper, and he was sure that one day Hairboy would say 'Enough!'

But as weeks became months, and months became years, even H began to see what Joel had seen almost from the very beginning. This was a partnership that would last.

Other people were coming to the same conclusion, and began to drop out of the betting pool. Eventually H decided that enough was enough, and changed the terms of the bet to 'when will Hairboy leave because he's finished his dissertation, become Dr. Sandburg, and quit Cascade to pursue his anthropological career?'

Joel grinned. "I still say never," gave H a final $10 and chose not to participate further.

But that $10 gained him the pot when Blair went to the Academy, sailed through it with flying colors, and became Jim's permanent, official partner.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


End file.
